Around 2007 I was thinking that Ponting was a freak, his average is just going to keep going up and thought people underappreciated him. Remember arguing with Manan, him saying Ponting would need an average of 60+ to be better than Tendulkar (who at the time was in crap form IIRC).

Originally Posted by kyear2

I recall as well thinking that Ponting was going to be remembered as the best batsman of the era, just a drastic drop off after though.

I remember telling everyone to cool their jets when they said Ponting had a better chance of breaking Lara's highest run record over Sachin. Also said Kallis is the likeliest to break Sachins run tally as his technique is tight and hence age will affect him less than Ponting. Also the fact he is a cyborg sent from another planet to dominate cricket in all forms and in every facet.

If Sachin or Kallis secure the highest run tally I win, but then there is the possibility of Ali Cook securing it and that prick SilentStriker wins. That will be an awful result.

Realistically, given England plays so much more test cricket than anyone else and his realtive youth, if he stays fit Cook's a real chance to finish with the highest aggregate of test runs.

He's played 87 tests in a little over six and a half years. He was 28 on Xmas Day, so he should have at least another 8 years ahead of him. That's about a hundred tests to come so possibly another 8k runs to add onto his current tally.

"The PFA does not represent players when they have broken the law and been convicted on non-football matters."- Gordon Taylor in 2009 following Marlon King's release after a prison sentence for sexual assault & ABH

Sutcliffe is always in contention in English (and overall) ATG sides. It's just Hobbs had the added longevity and the greater reputation, and Hutton's runscoring feats were to difficult to ignore.

Sutcliffe is third on that list of English openers by a mile, and he's in the top 5 of all-time by my reckoning.

Yep, thats the problem for me, most rank him 3rd! I mean, being considered the 3rd best opener of all time isn't bad at all, but, a batsman of his quality can't even make it to his countries all-time XI in most peoples eyes =/. Personally I rank him between Hobbs and Hutton, with Gavaskar 4th.

Sutcliffe was always the second fiddle to the main act that was Hobbs, and that was because for people who watched them Hobbs was the better batsman and that master. Sutcliffe simply batted very slowly, even more slowly than Hutton and Hutton played againts vastly better bowlers and had a magnificant technique. Sutcliffe was also helped by the presence of Hobbs as Hobbs scoring freely at one end would have taken the pressue off of Sutcliffe and Hobbs seems to have made all who opened with him better including Rhodes.
I would rank them Hobbs/Hutton, Gavaskar, Sutcliffe and a drop off there after. Boycott, Greenidge, Morris, Simson, Hayden (?) ect all included in the next group.